David S. Sanders is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP. He is co-chair of the firm’s Transactional & Securities Practice and co-chair of the Trade Secret/Noncompete Specialty Practice. Mr. Sanders’ practice is concentrated on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, employment, non-compete and trade secret issues, executive employment and termination agreements, leases, general corporate matters, and the drafting and negotiation of all types of contracts and corporate documents. He is a member of the Commercial Transactions & Business Counseling, Private Equity & Venture Capital and Real Estate Practices, as well as the Sports, Medical Devices, Emerging Technologies, and Health Care Industry Teams. He also serves on the firm's Diversity Committee.
Mr. Sanders counsels public and private corporations and other business entities, including corporations and limited liability companies, on corporate matters involving formation, operation, and growth, as well as employment matters. Mr. Sanders negotiates merger and acquisition transactions and other business contracts, leases, and agreements on behalf of clients. He frequently assists clients in negotiating, drafting, and creating various operational documents, including stock purchase, asset purchase and merger documents, employment and non-compete agreements, employee termination agreements, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, stock option plans, and leases. His general representation of business enterprises includes corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships. He is experienced in general corporate matters, including incorporation, organization, operating agreements, shareholders’ agreements and maintaining corporate books.
Mr. Sanders speaks frequently on issues relating to mergers and acquisitions, as well as non-compete matters, including presentations in April 2012 sponsored by UBIC and JETRO in Tokyo, Japan; Osaka, Japan; and sponsored by KITA in Seoul, South Korea on U.S. mergers and acquisitions process and best practices.
Mr. Sanders and other Foley attorneys taught a course entitled "Creating and Building Value in a High Tech Start-Up Company" during the Spring 2007 semester at George Mason University.
Mr. Sanders has been Peer Review Rated as AV® Preeminent™, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell's peer review rating system and was recognized in 2011 and 2012 by the Legal 500 for his work in mergers & acquisitions. He was selected as a 2013 On Being a Black Lawyer “Power 100 Advocate” honoree for his commitment to diversity and inclusion. He is a 2009 recipient of Foley & Lardner’s Carl Hitchner Mentor of the Year Award; an annual award to recognize outstanding mentoring to our young attorneys by partners and senior counsel.
In December 2003, Mr. Sanders received the "Stars For Children" award in recognition of his individual achievements and philanthropic generosity on behalf of The Children's Charities Foundation, Inc., a charity that has disbursed more than $5 million to organizations that support disadvantaged and at-risk children by strengthening their health and welfare, supporting strong cohesive families and assisting educational and recreational programs. The "Stars for Children" award is a leadership award that is presented annually to the individual who has proven dedication and commitment to children's causes and their well-being through philanthropy in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The Foundation’s primary fundraising vehicles are the Children’s Charities Foundation Golf Classic, presented by Amgen; the BB&T Classic, an NCAA Division I mens’ college basketball tournament, and the Children's Charities Foundation Gala - "The BasketBall."
A graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 1995), Mr. Sanders received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan (B.A., 1992). He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and before all federal courts in the Washington metropolitan area.
Publications:
- Contributing author, Partnership and Joint Ventures Involving Tax Exempt Organizations (John Wiley & Son)
- Co-author, "Asset Protection and Affordable Housing Projects Involving Exempt Organizations," Journal of Asset Protection, May/June 1998